Kyler Murray Set to be a Fantasy Force in Cardinals’ “Air Raid” Offense

After labeling Kyler Murray so “dominant a football player” that he’d “take him with the first pick,” new Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury kept his word. Murray led off the 2019 NFL Draft, landing in the ideal “Air Raid” system for him to be a Day One Fantasy Force. Murray is fresh off setting the NCAA ablaze with 4,361 passing yards, 42 TDs, 7 Ints to go with 1,001 rushing yards and 12 TDs inside Lincoln Riley‘s Oklahoma Air Raid. Additionally the team added speedy weaponry to an already stacked cabinet, giving Murray a deep stable of targets. Though the line is highly suspect, Murray has all the ingredients for a stellar rookie-year.

Kingsbury’s long been infatuated with Murray, giving the pick a fatalistic feel. The new HC had previously gushed, “He’s a freak…I’ve followed him since he was a sophomore in high school…I’ve never seen one better in high school. Just think the world of him and what he can do on the football field.”

Nevermind the Cardinals already boasted an All-Pro pass-catching back in David Johnson, who’s rapidly reclaiming his Top-10 Overall Fantasy Value, as well as the ageless Larry Fitzgerald and surging Christian Kirk.

Simply put: Murray has the arm and accuracy to spray at all levels of the field, and the system and weapons to capitalize. Combined with elite rushing upside, Murray slides into my Top-15 QBs, with the upside to rise inside a competitive QB1 class with strong camp performances. For more, click here.

Bottom Line: Pass-catching specialist, who? Christian McCaffrey returned to his college workhorse roots under new OC Norv Turner, and quickly put up Fantasy MVP-worthy numbers. He continued to flash his otherworldly receiving abilities, hauling in an NFL record 106 catches for 875 yards and 6 TDs. Yet where the usage really rose was the carries, as McCaffrey nearly doubled his 2017 total for 215 carries, 1080 yards, and 7 scores. These 321 total touches ranked third behind only Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, and this newfound volume created the ultimate ceiling / floor combination. In the process, McCaffrey flashed both the elusiveness, breakaway ability, and most shockingly underrated power to redefine the workhorse model.

​New OC Norv Turner deserves immense credit for this outburst. His previous work with LaDanian Tomlinson proved he wasn't afraid to ride a smaller-back, as he's able to scheme his guys in space and in creative outside gaps versus just blasting them up the gut... but even still, never before had an NFL back played nearly 97% of the team's snaps. Yes, this number inevitably will fall in 2019, but McCaffrey should still hover around 85-90%, especially with Turner returning. Expect a similar buffet of weekly volume with the upside for even more efficiency should the Panthers beef up their line while their explosive young wideouts take a next step forward.

Ceiling Projection: 320 touches (100 rec.), 2,000 Tot. Yds, 13 TDs

Floor Projection*: 270 touches (70 rec.), 1600 Tot. Yds, 7 TDs

Actual Projection: 310 touches (90 rec), 1900 Tot. Yds, 12 TDs

*Note - Floors are done without injuries in mind. Of course the lowest floor is torn ACL first play of scrimmage. This assumes 16 games